Explaining U.S. policies for South Asia at a briefing at the Council on Foreign relations, Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, therefore stressed the need for building a multi-faceted and long-term relationship with Pakistan by Islamabad's removing suspicions about Washington.
But this desire, he noted, would not the U.S. from seeking to prevent equally strong partnership with India.
"We are not going to refuse to deal with because the other one does want it," said Mr Steinberg. "But it's symmetrical, which is why we're so not that going to refuse to deal with the Other because the first is against it." While explaining how India-Pakistan differences affected America's efforts to build separate partnerships with both, Mr. Steinberg Hoped over time the two neighbors would be able to appreciate the U.S. approach.
"As we build trust, we build depth and breadth to those relationships, becomes it easier to tolerate those places where they still see it in the zero sum way with each other," he said.
Mr Steinberg that said he did not want to overstate the recent agreement between the Indian and Pakistan Prime Minister to go forward with their dialogue but Hoped that it would therefore Make It easier for the U.S. to build up its relations with both. "We hope that if we build a good, positive relationship with both, it will provide a context that may make it easier for the two of them to have a better relationship with each other" too, said the senior U.S. diplomat.
Mr Steinberg urged both India and Pakistan to take it that from the U.S. perspective, "we have to deal with the two relationships in parallel."
The U.S., he added, understood that both India and Pakistan had issues with each other but could not let its judgment be determined by the views of one about the other.
"This fundamental idea of de-hyphenating the relationship is at the core of a successful strategy," he added. "It does not mean that there are not going to be differences" but the U.S. intended to continue this Policy.
Mr Steinberg, however, noted it was clear that From the level of engagement with the Pakistan government of that the U.S. viewed this as a crucial relationship.
"We have a significant stake in building a Pakistan that is stable, democratic, economically growing and providing for the needs of its people, and dealing with the problems of terrorism and the potential risks of proliferation in that region," he said.
"So there's a huge amount at stake, and it's a complex relationship because it's a complex society and a complex government."
At this stage, he added, in the U.S. had "a tremendous focus and emphasis" on terrorism because "it's existential threat to us and it is a huge priority for us."
Terrorism, he noted, was also a huge priority for Pakistan because it too were threatened in many ways by the same forces that threatened the United States.
But Mr. Steinberg pointed out so that the range of issues discussed in the recent Strategic Dialogue in Washington showed that the United States wanted to build a long-term relationship with Pakistan that covered all issues.
"We also Recognise that ... we are better off if we can build trust and confidence in the sustainability of that relationship."
This meant making sure that the two sides were not just focussing on one issue, however important, but there were so understood that a range of concerns and issues.
"That's why, for example, we've tried to move on our agenda forward with the reconstruction opportunity zones in Pakistan, some to create economic opportunity. That's why, working with Congress, we've tried to broaden our assistance programs to make clear that this is to benefit broad sectors of the Pakistani society and not just focussed to counterterrorism efforts, "he said.
The U.S. diplomat conceded that The United States needed to rebuild its trust to overcome Pakistan's suspicions about Washington. But in doing so, both sides needed to understand that "we're not going to necessarily see eye to eye" on everything.
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